


Jo's Adventures in Shoptopia

by AlyssumFlowers



Series: Tales from Shoptopia [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Modern Character in Thedas, Portal Fantasy, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:02:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24579496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssumFlowers/pseuds/AlyssumFlowers
Summary: Once upon a time, stuff happened.  Jo is one of the many MCITs living and working in the wonderful nation-state of Shoptopia.  This is a series of drabbles, snippets, and little bits set in the background of Dead Bitch Walking, by GrumpkinVicky.  Marked mature to cover my rear given the explicit nature of some of the scenes of Dead Bitch Walking referenced.
Relationships: Iron Bull/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Tales from Shoptopia [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776595
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Redcliffe

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dead Bitch Walking](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294135) by [GrumpkinVicky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpkinVicky/pseuds/GrumpkinVicky). 



> Thank you to everyone on the MCIT discord server (recently changed to Portal Funtasy) for, well, everything. 
> 
> This fic in particular is especially thanks to GrumpkinVicky (obviously) both for her worldstate of course but also for Bull's and other characters voices.  
> Thank you also to Hood for cheerleading me on, and all the Bull-riding jokes that are absolutely going to happen if they haven't yet.

She skipped into the Gull and Lantern, violin case bouncing against her back, and plopped down on the nearest bar stool. She pulled the strap off her shoulder and leaned her violin in its case against the bar between her legs. Without a word, the bartender slid a mug her way while chatting with another customer. Just one to wet her whistle as she watched the sun set and people make their way to the tavern. She'd get the most tips in the evening when everyone came to relax at the end of the day.

Jo downed the last of her drink and thumped the mug on the bar as the sun finally set through the window and recognized the last few stragglers of regulars making their way over. She weaved around tables and chairs to her spot at the railings that separated the small area at the back with the bear pelt on the wall. Jo placed her case on the table there and snapped it open. She hopped up on the railing on the left, wrapping one leg around the rail and resting her left foot on the chair between the railing and the table. She rosined her bow and fiddled with the settings on the violin itself, double-checking it was still in tune and doing warm-ups. When she was satisfied, she began to play.

* * * * *

The tips were dying off the longer she played. They were getting bored of her songs, however new the songs were to Thedas. She also often didn't know many of the songs they'd request. She'd learned some Fereldan songs in Kinloch Hold, especially all the staples, but there were plenty she hadn't had the chance to learn before the rebellion, War, whatever you wanted to call it.

Demand had died down for her alchemy and herbalism too. Once Fiona had left for Denerim, the rest of the mages had scattered now that they had security in Ferelden. Which meant fewer customers in need of more advanced and quality potions. She was not the only one in or near Redcliffe with such skills either and, admittedly, the most common potions didn't _require_ magic anyway, even if they were better for it.

Jo would never forget passing that ridiculous flyer as she exited the tavern. She'd had to do a double-take and stare at it for a full minute before she registered that, yes, it was real. It was a perfectly normal job advertisement, seeking herbalists and alchemists to make potions. Except... at the end, in huge, blocky, green letters just after listing details of compensation... **£$€¥ PAID IN CASH MONEY £$€¥**

The symbols looked like gibberish at first, but she quickly recognized the dollar sign which is what triggered the memory of the other monetary symbols. Pounds, euros, yen. Those were all from _Earth._ She gently brushed her fingers against the dried ink before re-reading the job ad again. Jen Her'ald's Little Shoppe of Odds, Gods, and Sods. She shifted the strap of her violin case on her shoulder.

Jen Her'ald? Oh, if that wasn't an Earthling, she was a goddamn elf. She'd heard of the shop opening up in the mountains, but hadn't realized they'd taken over _Skyhold_ , nor that the proprietor was a fellow Earthling, much less one that so clearly _knew_. She gently removed the ad from the wall and brought it over to the bar with her. "Do you have something I could copy this with?" she asked as she sat down on a stool. "I can send one of the kids back with replacement--"

"Keep it. It's been up a while and they'll be back soon enough anyway,” he told her, waving his hand dismissively. She carefully folded the paper and then pulled at the neck of her dress to shove the advertisement into her breast band. The barkeep quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Probably not the most lady-like behavior, but whatever. She’d never worried about it before and wasn’t about to now. Especially not given the things she’d heard about this particular “shoppe” already….


	2. Shoptopia

She'd been sitting on a stool at the bar, sipping on ale, when Jen Her'ald had come in announcing the place needed to be fumigated. Her eyes widened in confusion and she turned to ask the Iron Bull who had been sitting on a bar stool next to her but it was now empty. She turned in time to catch him halfway across the room, heading for Jen, voice booming. "Aw, c'mon, Boss! That's not fair!"

Jo turned to ask the barkeep instead who just rolled his eyes as he hurriedly cleaned up, hiding all the glasses like he was afraid they'd get smashed to bits. Jo hopped off her stool and took her ale with her when Cabot's back was turned, joining the crowd headed for the door.

When they got outside, she caught Krem and opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but was interrupted by Bull’s bitching, which answered her question anyway. Apparently “fumigation” was the boss lady’s code for “I’m going to have sex in a public place, so shoo.”

She caught movement through the window out of the corner of her eye and leaned to the right a bit to glance inside. Jo could see what they were doing clear as day and hoo boy, they were not kidding about it being loud or indiscreet. She leaned into the alcove, perching in the window, and rested her head on the glass and brick. She sipped her ale as she watched, occasionally glancing over to Bull and nodding or making sympathetic faces, pretending to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this has all been really short, but I'm working on something a bit longer that's a bit more Jo/Bull -centric. Editing it and adding more writing to it now. It might even turn out to be a proper chapter. ;D   
> -Flowers, June 7, 2020.

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to let me know whatever you think, including but not limited to typos, critique, etc.


End file.
